Quality & Accreditation

Working To Australian Standard AS/NZS 4308

This document sets out protocols to be used for the identification and quantitation of a select number of substances -

• Opiates [Morphine, Codeine and Monoacetylmorphine]
• Cannabis metabolite [Carboxy-THC]
• Cocaine metabolites [Benzoyl ecgonine, Ecgonine methyl ester]
• Amphetamine type substances (sympathomimetic amines) [Amphetamine, Methylamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy), Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine]
• Benzodiazepines [Nordiazepam, Oxazepam, Temazepam, Nitrazepam, Flunitrazepam, Clonazepam]

Medico-legal drugs of abuse testing is used for employment, insurance cases, court appearances, child custody cases, Medical Board clients, Probation and Parole etc. Testing must be specifically requested and specimens must be accompanied by a medico-legal request form. A fee is raised for any analysis conducted according to AS/NZS 4308.

Reporting Levels For Drugs Of Abuse

All medico-legal analyses involve multi-point calibration and controls. For consistency in testing and adherence to AS/NZS 4308 all drugs listed above are quantitated, however these values are not normally reported. Values are used to determine whether a specimen is deemed to be "detected" or "not detected". An important use for quantitative analysis is in determining whether a Morphine positive result may have arisen through Heroin or Codeine ingestion.

Accreditation

The Toxicology Unit is accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities under category 10.61.16 Drugs for toxicological purposes to AS/NZS 4308 (2001) to perform both clinical and medico-legal drugs of abuse testing. The Toxicology Unit operates in accordance with IS/IEC 17025